Child Genius
by Nightcrawlerlover
Summary: AU oneshot. Buffy finds Matilda Wormwood playing the harp, and a discussion ensues.


**Hey there! Here's a new Buffy crossover oneshot I cooked up one day. This time it's between Buffy and the 1996 film Matilda. (Plus, Mara Wilson did an awesome job portraying the title character as well.) Hope you like it. :) **

**Disclaimer: Genius Joss Whedon owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The geniuses at TriStar Pictures owns the film Matilda. I own the songfics, oneshots, stories, ficlets and poems I cook up from time to time. **

Child Genius

The first thing Buffy saw as soon as she entered the library at the Watcher's Council was the child playing the harp. Her eyes were green – almost similar to Buffy's own emerald orbs. The brown hair reminded Buffy of chocolate, the dessert she often wanted to eat whenever she got the chance.

"My name's Matilda," said the child as soon as she finished playing the harp, "Matilda Wormwood-Honey."

_What an awesome name, _Buffy thought to herself as she listened to Matilda's story of how she got her two last names. _Strength in battle. Might, strength and battle._

Buffy thought the name "Matilda" was the right one for this child. It fit her very appropriately, too.

Matilda then read from a passage of the book Moby Dick by Herman Melville, much to Buffy's surprise. After Matilda finished reading, Buffy remarked,

"Wow. Matilda, you like to read books and novels – whatever you can get your hands on?"

"Oh, yes, Buffy. I like to read."

The tone of Matilda's voice implied to Buffy that Matilda spoke politely and quietly, and with no sign of showing off.

"What do you like to read?" asked Buffy.

Matilda thought for a moment before explaining with one word: "Everything."

"Everything? Really?" Buffy queried in an awed tone of voice.

"Oh, yes."

It was then that, when Matilda began to explain that she knew what a Slayer is that Buffy realized something. Matilda was a child genius.

Matilda then began a demonstration of her knowledge of mathematics ("13 x 379 = 4,927", "12 x 349 = 4188"), and Buffy was by now quite impressed. She wondered just how far Matilda was able to go with those smarts of hers.

Then, Matilda showed Buffy something else: her telekinesis. She pointed at a book, and it followed her pointing finger as it rose three feet into the air.

Buffy was quite amazed (but not shocked, as she had seen her friend Willow Rosenberg do some telekinesis with a pencil one day back when she was in high school).

Matilda then explained of how, one day after she had come home from school, her father's ranting and raving had given her the key to her power. Finally (after practicing and practicing), Matilda was able to recall all the mean things that her parents and her old school principal, Miss Trunchbull, had said to or about her, and her powers of telekinesis fully activated.

Buffy then felt grateful that her parents never treated her like that when she was growing up. However, she felt that Principal Snyder and Miss Trunchbull had something in common. They both disliked children (or, in Principal Snyder's case, teenagers). At least he did explain why he was a teacher, despite hating kids. "Somebody has to keep an eye on them."

For hours, Buffy and Matilda talked about everything. Then Matilda remarked that she knew what a Slayer was and that Buffy was one herself. The look on Buffy's face was the look of confusion. _How did she know about that? _

Then Matilda said,

"I'm very sorry I explained what a Slayer was, Buffy. It has nothing to do with me anyway."

Buffy simply pulled herself out of the shock she had gotten into and replied,

"Why shouldn't you ask, Matilda? You are very bright – much too bright not to have wondered about something like that anyway."

Matilda smiled at that.

Then a thought came to Buffy, and she asked,

"Matilda, you read all these books, and you learn all different sorts of things. How come you are so smart and you know all this stuff?"

Now it was Matilda's turn to give a little shake of the shoulders as she replied,

"I'm not sure how I got to be so bright at an early age. But I'm sure that there are other prodigies like me out there, too."

This time Buffy smiled at the small yet simple explanation.

Then, when Matilda said that she knew the Hellmouth was also known as ‛Boca del Infierno' in Spanish, Buffy knew that Matilda's smarts were quite something – an achievement of sorts.

Reading at an early age (three, as Matilda explained), learning to take care of herself by the time she was two, and all these mathematics she had done – and very accurately – made Buffy wonder exactly how big Matilda's brain power actually was.

_She'd make an awesome addition to the Scooby Gang, _Buffy thought. _And I'm sure Willow would take a fancy to her as well._

**Well, what do you think? R&R, please. :)**


End file.
